Freedom isn't Free
by Shuisi
Summary: Among other legends, there exists a tale of the son of the sea. Mothers tell stories about a boy with brilliant green eyes and strange but dangerous powers, of a ship headed by the youngest captain in history. And somewhere, a girl yearns for freedom so much, she discovers the tragedy of it- that it isn't free. Pirate AU. Picture belongs to Viria.
1. Prologue

**This is going to be a pirate AU, because the idea just shoved its way into my head, pushing all my other inspirations out the window.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a Lercy fic, the main pairing is probably still Percabeth, it just kind of felt right to start off with Percy and Luke, but it's friendship only between those two. Luke is probably going to be a good guy in this fic.**

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and crew does not belong to me, but instead belongs to Rick Riordan. I only own the plot.**

Prologue: 7 years ago

Luke swiped his arm across his face furiously, wiping away the burning hot tears that had somehow worked their way out his eyes. They still clung to his eyelashes, breaking the world into shattered, glittery coloured pieces. As Luke tried to blink them away, he dropped onto the soft sand, frustrated and defeated, salty grit finding its way under his fingernails already.

Luke wasn't sure how exactly he had found himself here, at the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, but then again, the blind fury that he stormed out of his father's palace hadn't exactly left him calm and reasonable. He had just ran as fast as his legs could carry him, enough to escape the guards; and before he knew it, he was here, watching grey waves roll and crash like thunder, sending sea spray flinging through the air. The sea was restless today, unlike its usual relatively calm surface. Luke could feel something stirring under the water, something menacing in the way the water swirled. In a way, it was kind of mesmerising. A huge storm was coming, and Luke could almost feel the pressure in the air, and more moisture than usual sinking in his pores that usual.

Today was supposed to be a good day, it was his ninth birthday. And it was the day Luke got himself betrothed. He was so mad that his father had presented him with a future-to-be bride to him, as if _she was a birthday present_. He had wanted toys for his birthday, and that epic book that the other boys were always talking about. Definitely not a girl. Apparently, as the son of King Hermes, he had no right to choose the person that he would marry, and he had a responsibility for the kingdom, to make connections to other realms. That's what his dad always said, and the words had become engraved in Luke's head over time. It's not that Luke hated - or even disliked- the girl that his father had chosen. But he had just always wanted to make his own choices, have his own opinion, and live his own life. He wanted to be free.

Staring miserably at the dark, damp sand in front of him, Luke could almost picture his father speaking the words that he had repeated over and over, time and time again. They rang as clear as bells in his memory. _'You're a Castellan Luke, do you remember what our last name means? It means guardian of a castle. And what better way to be a guardian of a castle, than to be a king?'_ Luke's nine-year-old mind understood, he just didn't realise he needed to marry whoever his father wanted him to marry, to be a good king. The whole thing just frustrated and confused him.

Glancing up, Luke noticed that the tide was drawing nearer, and the tips of his shoes were almost scraping the water. He tried to remember the lectures that his tutor had given to him about the ocean and the way it got more and less sometimes, but he obviously hadn't been concentrating very hard in that session. The ocean had always been mysterious to him, and he was wary of the waves that lapped closer and closer.

Luke stood up to avoid getting wet, and walked along the sea. Maybe he could find a rock to sit on or something, because going back to the castle right now would be a very bad thing. Just as he thought this, he spotted a few flat looking rocks in the distance that looked about as comfortable as a rock probably could be, and he set off in that direction, leaving little, wet footprints trailing behind him. Hoisting himself up onto the rock was hard work, since he was at a nine year old height, but Luke somehow managed it, and he collapsed onto his back, panting and feeling exhausted, but satisfied. He closed his eyes, and he could feel the coolness of the smooth rock through his thin shirt. Luke felt, for the first time that it was cold today, and he hadn't exactly brought a coat when he stormed out. At least the waves were calming and the sound of them gently sloshing against each other relaxed Luke. A salty sea breeze brushed against Luke's skin, and Luke felt happy, despite the events of the day. It was his birthday after all, and tomorrow, it would be his party where he was allowed to invite anyone he wanted. Preferably people who gave better presents than his father.

"The fish are scared." A voice suddenly jolted Luke upright, out of his thought. The palace guards couldn't have found him already could they? Because he was so not ready to go back. Luke's mouth opened, ready to make an argument, but instead of the palace guards, sitting in front of him was a boy younger than him, waving his arm in front of Luke's bewildered face. "Are you alright mister?" Luke blinked a few times and then frowned. He hardly considered himself a mister, but he guessed that this was a younger kid, so it was fine.

Looking at the boy, Luke's curiosity grew. He had big sea green eyes that seemed to swirl around to the rhythm of the waves that were now pounding against the rocks. They sent sea spray, showering down in sparkling droplets on Luke and the green-eyed boy, like salty rain. Luke's shirt got drenched and his blonde hair dripped with water, but when he looked at the other boy, he saw that he wasn't wet at all. Dark messy black hair that looked as black as ink, wasn't flattened at all like Luke's hair was, and his clothes looked perfectly dry.

Overall, the boy was probably around 6, but his eyes held a sort of intelligence and old-age mystery like the type of look really old people had. Like really old. Luke's grandpa had that sort of look sometimes, and it always felt so sad and lonely. That's what the kid looked like, he had this aura of loneliness. Luke wondered what a boy as small as him was doing on this stormy day, without a parent, and wandering on slippery rocks by the sea.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Luke remembered to reply to the question, snapping out of his daze.

The boy offered him a wide smile. "That's good mister."

Luke heard the distant clap of thunder which sent a shudder through his blood. He did not want to be caught up in that storm, and the sea was steadily getting choppier and choppier. This boy had apparently noticed too, and his face fell from its happy expression to one that was worried and sad again. Just then, Luke remembered what the first sentence the boy had said to him was.

"What do you mean the fish are scared?" Luke's curiosity got the best of him when his brain was screaming that fish couldn't possibly tell anyone that they were scared.

The boy stared at Luke as if he was an alien. "They're screaming, can't you hear them? They want me to save them, but I can't. I don't know how." Suddenly, Luke could hear despair and terror in his voice, emotions that this boy should still be too young for. Emotions that Luke himself hadn't felt yet. Luke felt shivers from the cold, and from the unnaturalness of the kid in front of him. It was plain weird, but instead of feeling repulsed and frightened of this strange boy, Luke felt entranced. The boy seemed to notice Luke's shudders.

"Are you cold, mister?" A small arm reached out to Luke's shoulder, and he gradually felt all the cold drain out of him. His clothes and hair dried instantly, and a sort of pleasant warmth spread over him slowly. Luke felt so warm. And then, his eyes snapped open; he gaped openly at the black-haired boy in front of him.

The boy just tilted his head with a sudden unsure gesture. "Why were you wet mister? Did you want to be wet?" Luke stared, not understanding.

"How'd you do that?" He finally whispered faintly. The boy blinked.

"Err… the same way you would do it mister?" Luke decided that he should give up on the issue because he felt that his brain was about to implode if it took any more. He had sensed it from the start, but now alarm bells were ringing in his mind. His kid was definitely not normal. Luke decided that it would probably be safer to get back to the castle now and face his father's rage like a man. That was saying a lot. He really didn't want to go back, but this whole thing was freaking him out. He inched backwards.

"Are you leaving mister?" the boy's eyes were wide and the very picture of innocence. They were also full of sadness. "Will you be my friend?"

Luke's mind reeled. He remembered now, the fairy tales that his mother told him when he was tucked safely in bed and could afford to find the stories amusing. He remembered the rumours about a boy, a boy from the sea who had strange powers. A boy with bright sea-green eyes that everyone ran away from because he was different and dangerous.

Luke swallowed his panic down. "I. Um.. sure." He hoped that the boy wouldn't kill him. There were stories that he killed people sometimes.

But all Luke saw in front of him was the sudden wide grin of a 6 year old boy who looked as if he had never made a friend in his life before. He couldn't believe that this boy would kill people, he just looked like a cute little kid with a strange eye colour.

All of a sudden, Luke realised that he had worse things to worry about, when he saw the sky. It was pitch black, except for the lightning that flashed, shooting bursts of white-hot light every few seconds. The sea was raging, and the waves were 5 times as big as when Luke last saw them. The sea looked pitch black too. Luke stood up. He needed to get away from the beach really fast, because he knew people drowned here, sitting on wet rocks in the middle of a tempest. He looked back at the way he came, and it felt like panic punched him in the gut, because the stepping stones that he had walked across to get to the tall, flat piece of rock were entirely covered in water. He couldn't even see them.

Luke could actually picture it in his mind now, the way the news would spread across the entire nation. Prince Luke, swept out to sea, dead at age 9, a tragic tale to stop other children from playing on the rocks in dangerous weather. Terror gripped him, and he spun around to see the boy sitting in the exact same position, perfectly calm, as if they weren't practically sitting in the eye of a hurricane. Luke suppressed the urged to scream, and tried to think instead. But it was useless, there was no way out, and the underwater currents would drown them, if they tried to swim. They were dead children walking.

Right as he were thinking about it, Luke spotted a colossal wave, like the king of all waves heading straight for the rock they were on right now. It was going to smash them too pieces, Luke was sure of it, and if they survived the impact, they would drown in the ocean. The boy watched it with wide but calm eyes, and stared at Luke's face as if confused by his terrified expression.

"Mister, are you ok? Why are you so scared?"

This boy probably didn't even realise that they were about to get killed. He probably didn't even know what death was. Luke wasn't in the right mood to explain it nicely.

"We're about to die kid, we're going to die!" Luke had to shout to be heard above the deafening thunder. The boy didn't even look fazed, he just kind of sat there confused like he didn't know how a wave could possibly kill them.

"The wave is going to hurt you mister." It was more a question than a statement, and Luke nodded violently. He couldn't believe this kid's ignorance and that he was explaining his own death in his last moments of his life. With a little boy who shared his fate. The situation was bit unreal.

Luke almost missed the stubborn set of the boy's mouth, but he saw a determined expression settle over him. He looked different from the happy kid who Luke met on the rock, and new aura surrounded him.

"It's okay mister, I got this."

Luke severely doubted that. But he didn't had the time to say so, the wave was almost upon them, and it was mere seconds from impact. And the boy stood up to face it like he was embracing death, but Luke tried desperately to find a piece of jagged rock to grab onto. The water was a 20 foot tall wall towering above them, and Luke saw the exact moment it began to curve the deadly arc down. He closed his eyes.

And waited for his death. For a few moments. And nothing happened.

Luke flung his eyes open to see the boy with his hands out, an intense look of concentration on his face, and he stared at the wave that parted, like the red sea, around them. Masses of uncontrolled heavy water fell, but it didn't fall on _them._ It was like a dome surrounded the rock, and the water slid off the sides of an invisible barrier, without Luke feeling even one drop. It was kind of beautiful and scary at the same time to be in a bubble and watch the water pass around you. Because this wasn't something that happens in nature.

Luke was brought back to the present when he heard the boy panting and breathing heavily as if he needed to catch his breath. When Luke looked at him, he saw the boy's arms and legs shaking violently, and when he last of the water dropped into the sea around them, he simply collapsed. Luke immediately snapped into action, and managed to barely catch him before the kid cracked his head open on the rock. He could see pain written across the boy's face, but under it, an expression of such intense happiness that it bled through all the hurt.

Slowly standing up, the green-eyed boy extended a still trembling arm to Luke, who stared at it in surprise for a few moments. A smile of pure joy exploded and bloomed onto the boy's face, and it looked happier and more real than any smile Luke had ever seen.

"My name's Percy Jackson, mister, and I'm so glad that you taught me how to control it."

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Not sure if I want to continue, so give me some response, and I'll see if anyone likes it.**

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	2. 2 Road to Freedom

**A/N: It's been ages since I've updated this story, I just want to say thank you to the response that I've got and all the follows. It's what convinced me to take up this fanfic. Thanks to everyone who read it.**

Road to Freedom

Annabeth stared at the stormy grey waters of the ocean as choppy waves smashed against the side of the ship. The sea was the same colour as her eyes, and right now, it was the same shade as her darkened spirits too. Thunder crackled threateningly from behind the clouds, but Annabeth barely heard it as she mulled over her problems in a worried and downhearted daze. The figurehead of The Queen Anne's Revenge, frozen in an eternal scream, cast a looming shadow over her as if it was impressed with her negativity.

To be honest, Annabeth felt exhausted, as if her determination and brilliance had run dry; in reality, she had given up and consented to this life of hers for eternity. Annabeth, daughter of Athena, officially did not want to be a princess, something that would have certainly shocked her mother if she heard what Annabeth was thinking. And the fact that the idea of doing so tempted Annabeth so much, was proof that she was tired to death of being the perfect daughter and an impenetrable future queen. From the age of 3, Annabeth had been moulded, twisted, and forced into a suitable leader for the country of Athens. For all these years, she had focused on brain-cell killing lectures, useless negotiations and ridiculous posture, and it finally seemed to be taking a toll on Annabeth. After all, the Queen of Wisdom expected on the best.

And for a while, Annabeth had really tried to be. She donned the appearance of a flawless queen-in-training, but the whole time, she had felt her real self churning, rolling, and crashing inside of her, under the fake skin of a ruler. Because Annabeth really wasn't cut out to be royal, she wanted to be something much more precious. She wanted to be free. And free never felt so far away.

Annabeth was on her way back from a treaty with a faraway country, so far that it warranted the use of an armed ship plus a whole crew of bodyguards for her own safety. It wasn't rare for Athena to send Annabeth on these journeys, as they were apparently good for her understanding of the world, but Annabeth had certainly never travelled across the ocean before. For as long as she had been able to remember, she had always heard stories of the unpredictable sea, whether it was from her tutor, books, or even the never-ending gossip that flowed out of her servants' mouths. And by far, the most common tale she had always heard, were the terrible stories of pirates.

Everyone with enough common sense to avoid being an idiot knew the bloodthirsty frenzy of the cursed sea dogs. No pirate ship existed without being splattered in innocent blood, and the relentless mania of pirates were things rarely seen, but widely heard. And there was always one rumour heard especially well. Annabeth had been told the words so many times, they were burnt into her brain. And yet, every time she heard it again, it brought a new shiver to her veins, and a strange feeling in her stomach.

Everyone had heard of the Royalty Snatchers. A notorious feared pirate ship that had claimed the highest price of capture, a huge bounty that had hundreds of men after them. And they earned this title by the repeated theft of royal children. Prince Luke, son of Hermes, Princess Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, the list went on endlessly. The Kings and Queens who ruled over Olympus were all frantic about either saving their children or protecting the remaining ones, hence the mini army that had been shadowing Annabeth's every move. Queen Athena would not like to have her carefully trained heir kidnapped by uneducated scoundrels.

The Royalty Snatchers was a subject that remained in the corner of Annabeth's mind at all times, she regarded the topic with wariness yet a certain fascination. The snatching had been occurring for over 7 years now, and yet, no ransom note had ever been left. There was no demand for new laws, equality for all, no selfish cause, and no logic behind what pushed the Royalty Snatchers to take the children. They seemed to take children for the fun of it, and Annabeth's imagination conjured gruesome images of torture and murder. It was unknown why they had been taken, and personally Annabeth found that, the scariest thing of all.

There were possibilities that Annabeth sometimes entertained, such as the usefulness of the princes and princesses. Like the folk tale that stated once in a blue moon, royal blood brought powers. Talents that belonged to otherworldly creatures, gods, but not humans. All Annabeth could say was that she had neither obtained any powers nor heard of any other princes or princesses who were born with them. She wasn't sure whether she was glad or disappointed about it.

She was suddenly torn away from her thoughts as the deck creaked behind her, and the bulky but familiar figure of a soldier drew near to her. Annabeth relaxed as she recognised the harsh features of the face, messy brown hair carelessly tied up. Annabeth liked Clarisse, she could tell that there was a bold bravery in her because she had saw it the moment they had met. She frequently made decisions about a person on first sight, and with cunning precision, Annabeth was proud to be able to say that she had never been wrong.

The famous fighter of Ares took Annabeth's gesture as permission to lean against the railing, next to Annabeth. A silence drifted softly across the two girls for a while before it was broken for a polite greeting.

"Captain La Rue." Annabeth inclined her head.

Clarisse grunted in return, her muddy brown eyes straining out towards the storm, searching for things invisible to Annabeth. The first drops of rain fell reluctantly staining Clarisse's grubby bandana, as if they were sorry for starting the storm.

"Better get inside Princess," Clarisse muttered drawing out her eyeglass, "Big storm coming, and mother wouldn't want you to get a cold."

Annabeth frowned at the mention of her mother. It seemed that she could never escape the grasp of Queen Athena, a women who had Annabeth's entire life at her fingertips. Every move she made, no matter how unpredictable, it still seemed like Queen Athena was tugging Annabeth along like a puppet on strings. It was like a useless game of chess laid out in front of Annabeth, waiting for her next move, but the result would never change in the end. Who could outsmart the wisdom queen? Probability, zero.

And yet, Annabeth made no move to go to the safety and warmth of inside. Even in this remote point in the ocean, it gave her the satisfaction of defying her mother. A mother who would probably never know that it occurred, but it warmed Annabeth's heart nonetheless. It was comforting to see that she still had the ability to have her own thoughts because regardless of what anyone else thought, Annabeth would not be anyone's puppet. Not even her mother's.

Clarisse had a slight look of approval on her face as if she could hear what Annabeth was thinking. The look softened her tough face a little, and Annabeth smiled to herself at the way Clarisse looked so much more human this way. Clarisse's face froze.

Startled, she scrabbled to unfold her eyeglass again, and Annabeth could see the open shock displayed crystal clear on the seemingly never surprised captain. It made panic crawl up her stomach.

Annabeth waited impatiently, nerves stretched taut, for Clarisse to tell her that it was nothing, a false alarm. But Clarisse stayed silent, straining at something unseen to Annabeth. Squinting into the distance, in the direction of Clarisse's gaze, Annabeth could only just make out an outline of what caused the terror in the warrior's eyes. The dark shape shrouded in mist could have been anything, but logic seized Annabeth's mind and told her it was another ship.

All of a sudden, her previous thoughts rushed back to her in a flood which she did her best to dam. It was never useful to panic, and the odds of the Royalty Snatchers being here were close to impossible.

Although Annabeth did her best to convince herself, a single glance at Clarisse's face turned her blood icy. A mere ship did not induce fright in the toughest women Annabeth knew. A normal pirate ship did not move with the deadly speed of this enormous machine headed towards them. In fact, it would be right on top of them in a matter of seconds. Annabeth tried to convince herself that it was nothing, just a fellow friendly ship passing by. But one glance at the giant figure that drew closer shattered her hopes. It was threatening, a deadly shade of polished gleaming bronze. The dragon figure head looked _alive_ , with glowing red eyes, and Annabeth hoped fervently that it was her imagination when she saw the dragon move, blowing out a plume of roasting fire.

Suddenly, rain flew down, the drizzle which had been fluttering at Annabeth's face previously was nothing compared to this. The fat water droplets flattening her curls, pasting them to her face as the water fell furiously, like it had a personal problem with their ship.

Clarisse snapped out of her stupor suddenly, flashes of emotion racing across her face with the water that dripped from her nose. "Prepare for an attack!" She shouted, her voiced booming over the Queen Anne's Revenge, and though her face was tight with tension, Annabeth admired the fact that Clarisse's voice betrayed no worry or hesitation, nudging the crew into action immediately.

The shell-shocked crew sprang into action. Cannons were rolled out at lightning speed, matches dug out of pockets, gunpowder mixing with the now-heavy rainwater to create a dangerous black slime.

"Clarisse. Clarisse!" Annabeth shouted over the thunder that rumbled dangerously in the sky. When Clarisse finally turned to face Annabeth, she couldn't help but see the hopelessness written on the captain's face. The weapons that they had couldn't hope to pose a threat to the huge warship that rode through the waves like a silent killing machine, they would be squished like ants. At a time like this, she couldn't help but voice her deepest fears. She tried to prevent her voice from shaking. "Is that. Is that the Royalty Snatchers?"

Clarisse looked at her like she was mad.

"What?" Clarisse muttered her herself. "What!" she said louder.

Lifting her eyeglass to her eye again, Clarisse leaned across the railings, trying to get a better look. Annabeth bit her lip as she tried to read the frustratingly blank expression that now dominated Clarisse's face. After a few moments, Clarisse lowered her looking glass and shook her head in a way that seemed strange to Annabeth- relieved.

"Enough!" she shouted over the hustling of her crew that rushed around in an organized panic. Every member of the ship froze at the sound of their captain, tension oozing in the air for the information that may change their lives. Annabeth held her breath hoping and hoping again, for the first time in her life, to be wrong. But she rarely doubted herself, and this time was the same. The ship was far too fast to be ordinary, the figurehead looked unnaturally alive, and bronze was never a material used by countries for their ships. With the evidence laid in front of her eyes, Annabeth couldn't pretend that this was just a normal passer-by and grasping at straws, she cast a prayer in to the sky that this dark, cold water wouldn't become the grave in which she would be buried. Annabeth gazed at Clarisse's face, still unreadable in the grey darkness of the storm.

Clarisse's eyes looked guarded, but not frightened. "Stay on alert, but hold your fire."

The crew muttered in acceptance, as they continued their task, but no cannonballs flew through the air, and there were no sounds of gunpowder blasting holes in the silence Annabeth looked on in total bewilderment.

"What's happening?" She mouthed at Clarisse over the deafening thunder and ceaseless clatter of the crew.

Clarisse seemed to have no problem screaming over the noise. "NOT SURE! MAYBE NEW SHIP" Annabeth winced as thunder boomed like a bomb effectively covering the next few words Clarisse shouted. Annabeth only caught on to two more words. "PERCY JACKSON!" Clarisse screamed.

Annabeth didn't have time to ask for more information. Because a shadow suddenly loomed over them both, making Queen Anne's Revenge look like a souvenir you could buy from a tourist stop. A huge Greek ship parked with pinpoint accuracy next to their position, and when Annabeth looked up at the sky, it seemed like several dark figures fell out of the clouds.

Ropes fell onto the Queen Anne's Revenge, and from them, silhouettes swung before dropping lightly onto the deck, the sounds of their entrance silent; it only made them seem more dangerous.

Before Annabeth even had time to turn around, she felt the bite of cold metal resting on her neck, and a low voice murmuring in her ear.

"Turn around princess." It was too soft to determine anything about the owner's voice; somehow, it filled Annabeth with fear and curiosity to see the intruders. With extreme care of the blazen bronze blade, Annabeth slowly twisted around to face the attackers.

Sea green eyes, a colour in eyes that Annabeth didn't even know existed, glowed lightly in the darkness. But what she found in them was far from the cold gleam of a ruthless murderer that she expected. Something in those eyes radiated an old power, and yet a raw sadness. She could feel herself being drowned by those eyes, a sort of calm sorrow leaking from the emotion in them, and seeping into Annabeth herself. It was a rare ancient gaze, that didn't belong on the face of the boy standing in front of Annabeth.

And he was a boy. In fact, Annabeth doubted that the raven haired pirate was older that herself; it certainly didn't look like it. He was barely taller than her, and every other part of her body screamed youth, except for his eyes. Annabeth pushed her dripping hair out of her face, before noticing that the boy was perfectly dry, his messy black hair nowhere near as wet as her own. Even his clothes remained without a drop of water; the unnaturalness of it screamed at Annabeth. Swallowing harshly, Annabeth made her judgement and knew to stay away from him. She could see from his eyes that this boy was drowning. And if she ever got close, she would go down with him.

The boy's green eyes flickered from her to Clarisse, being held furiously by knifepoint by a boy with sandy blonde hair. He frowned slightly as if suddenly realising something.

"Clarisse La Rue?" He looked startled when Clarisse turned her head to look at him at the sound of her name. But very quickly, a smile inched towards his mouth when he recognised the face. He lowered his glowing bronze sword, a much more elegant weapon than what Annabeth had imagined pirates to fight with, before sheathing it by his side. "Luke." He murmured.

The blonde boy lowered his blade reluctantly in suit, like he was uncertain and confused. _That made two of them_ , Annabeth thought, because evidently, Clarisse did not look surprised in any way.

"Percy Jackson." A smile blew across her face, startling Annabeth and that blonde boy called Luke. It quickly disappeared as Clarisse replaced it with a more familiar scowl.

"Prissy, I thought I recognised your ship's movement of water." She glowered at him in a way that seemed more concerned than angry. "I seem to remember I told you to stay out of the waters, not wade back in them like nothing happened. Do you have a death wish?" she growled.

Percy did not look at all worried about Clarisse's dark expression, grinning lightly instead. "I thought you knew me better than that captain," he saluted her lightly. "I would drown on land."

To her surprise, Clarisse let out a short laugh, relaxing her furious features. "I suppose I never did believe you anyway. New ship I see. Gave me a heart attack."

Percy looked like he took that as a compliment, "New crewmates bring new talents. Shipbuilding is one of the finer ones." He looked as if a thought suddenly sprang in his mind, a more dampening one. "I suppose you know why I'm here."

Clarisse cast a glance in Annabeth's direction. "You sure about this one? I've heard that Queen Athena's rage is not one you would like to risk."

"True," Percy muttered, "But I'll have to disregard personal safety this time, I think I already let this case get a little too far."

Clarisse nodded slightly in agreement. "I think you're right." Her eyes softened. "Besides, when have you ever regarded your personal safety, Prissy? You have the self-conservation of a suicidal donkey. Stubborn, and suicidal."

Luke's mouth twitched upwards at the words, "So true," he agreed. "I guess you'll be counting on me to keep you out of trouble like always, Captain." _Captain?_ Annabeth's mind whirled furiously. There was no way that this boy, was the captain of a pirate ship, even Luke looked older than him, and Luke was far too young to be captain too.

"Counting on you, Luke." They green-eyed boy rolled his eyes. "I think you forgot that you're not my mother." Luke softly punched him in the arm.

"Prince Luke?" Annabeth finally found her voice, as she put the pieces together and the cog in her brain clicked. "Everyone thinks you're dead." Her fears were true. These were the Royal Snatchers, and Clarisse was in a league with them by the sound of their conversation. She felt her death before her eyes, and the shock of it numbed her mind. "You were my fiancé." Her voiced sounded lifeless even to her own ears.

Percy looked concerned. "I don't know what stories you've heard of us, but that's not who we really are Princess Annabeth." He leant closer to her, whispering words in her ears only meant for her. "We're not here to kill you." Annabeth closed her eyes. "We're here to save you. Because someone wanted freedom. And we're just here to deliver it."

Annabeth stumbled backwards to the railing. "How?" She demanded, pleased that her voice bore no traces of fear. "Is freedom only death?"

The boy called Percy smiled, a lovely smile that Annabeth couldn't help just finding herself warming to. "Freedom is the ocean, Miss Chase. Freedom is so near to you that you could ride it until the end of the world. Freedom is now." He extended a hand towards Annabeth. "But is freedom what you wish?"

Was freedom what she wished for? All her royal luxuries, her interesting lessons, the pride of a princess danced through her mind, but the thought of freedom called to her like a siren. Her hand met Percy's calloused one without any thought. The rain whimpered to a halt, cold water no longer hitting her face.

Percy smiled softly like he knew it all along. "Percy Jackson, captain of the Argo II." He introduced.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

Percy led her slowly towards the gangway which had been lowered between the two ships when Annabeth hadn't noticed. He stood back, with Luke, watching her take her first steps of liberty on her own. Annabeth glanced back at Clarisse who looked on with respect and admiration. Feeling like the clouds that parted above, to reveal a golden sun warming Annabeth's frozen bones, she called back to her, "Tell my mother I'm free."

She didn't look back as she ran up towards freedom.

 **A/N: Okay, I'm pretty proud about this chapter, it's 3k words, a personal lame achievement for myself. Review, and tell me about how you liked it, it does wonders for motivation! Percy's got secrets, as you might be able to tell, and it looks like his history with Clarisse includes some of it. The ages in this story are pretty close to canon, Percy's younger than Annabeth by a bit, like in the book. They're about 15-ish? Luke's older by a few years. So yeah! Oh, by the way, I'm going to change the title of the story, because to be honest the old one was a little lame. If you're confused on anything else, just tell me, hope you like it!**

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	3. 3 A World Unknown

**AN: Just wanted to say thanks to all the great reviews I got, and everyone who favourited, followed, or even read this story. You guys are awesome.**

 **awestruck 2409** **: Thanks for your question, it's actually a really valid one because I have made it a bit vague, but basically, it is not a mortal AU, and demigods still exist, they just don't know it yet. I've got a plan.**

 **Any other questions, just pop them in the review section**

3 A World Unknown

When Annabeth set foot on the Argo II, she instantly realised what Clarisse had meant when she had said that she recognised Percy's ship's 'movement of water'. The Queen Anne's Revenge was an excellent ship, the fastest in the nation of Athens, made with cutting edge technology designed by a former son of Athena. But this Greek trireme was perfectly still against the rolling waves of the ocean and Annabeth hardly felt as if she was standing on a boat at all, filling her with a strange sense of peace, and normalcy. The ship radiated traditional and modern at the same time, a feeling of timeless innovation. Whoever had built this masterpiece had eternally won Annabeth's respect.

As soon as Annabeth reached the main deck of the ship, her wonder promptly vanished as she found an entire crew of pirates gathered on the main deck of the ship staring at her rather disconcertingly. Nervous chatter filled the air, and the constant shifting of bodies told Annabeth that something was out of the ordinary, enough to make everyone on the ship worried. She just fervently hoped that the murmurs racing through the crowd weren't about her.

A handsome blonde boy stepped out of the crowd, taking the lead, his bright blue eyes anxiously staring at Annabeth, and she automatically felt her suspicion flare up at the sight of him. He seemed too perfect somehow, with close cropped hair and flawlessly unrumpled clothes, along with a strong aura of confidence that surrounded him. His crisp white shirt and polished shoes were spotless, too clean for a pirate.

But her prejudice slipped away when she heard the concern that coloured his voice, softening his image of flawlessness.

"Where are Percy and Luke?" His worry unsettled Annabeth, and she shifted uncomfortably from the stares trained on her like laser pointers.

"Percy and Luke are right here." Percy's voice from behind Annabeth interrupted her, saving her from responding. Percy jumped off the gangway, landing lightly, and stared in confusion at the large crowd gathered on the deck of the ship. Luke followed, although he didn't seem half as surprised as Percy.

"Are the cabins on fire again? Because at this rate, there won't be enough water in the ocean by the time Leo finishes the fireproof plans." Percy had a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Percy." Relief brushed through the blond boy's tensed shoulders, and his anxious body relaxed. Annabeth could see that he took comfort in the fact that Percy and Luke seemed uninjured.

Until he crossed his arms and glowered darkly at the young captain who seemed to be doing his best innocent expression. Percy's wide honest eyes were completely ruined by the twitch pulling up the corners of his mouth.

"Just before you kill me Jason, can I just say that I had supervision." Percy gestured to Luke who was utterly failing at keeping a guilty face judging by the mischievous grin adorning his face. Jason turned his disapproving gaze onto Luke, who was trying his best not to laugh.

"Oh, I haven't even started on you yet Castellan. Just waited until I'm done with Jackson. You'll never feel like laughing again." Jason glared stormily.

Luke's grin seemed to get larger.

"Jason, I really don't want to ruin our friendship or anything," Percy grinned, "But Coach Hedge does the last name thing better than you."

If it was possible for Jason to scowl deeper, he did, and Percy sighed in defeat seeing that the scolding from his friend was obviously inevitable.

"Okay Jason, hit me with it." He groaned, tilting his head back.

"I can't believe that you sneaked off the ship for a rescue mission on your own, Percy!" Jason huffed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"What? I don't count as a person now? Thanks Jason." Luke muttered from the side. Jason threw his a glare that Annabeth interpreted as _shut-the-hell-up_.

Percy shrugged, "I thought I would be better as a one-man mission. Except Luke tagged along, so even safer!"

"I wouldn't exactly call swinging onto an enemy ship on your own safe, Percy. Your definition of safe seems to be the same as my definition of _reckless_."

"And I wouldn't exactly call having my company as being on your own." Luke murmured, but Jason either didn't hear, or pretended not to.

"Come on, Jason, you know those missions are always better when you have a small team."

"Someone else could have-"

"If someone else could have, then why can't I?" Percy demanded with an exasperated expression.

"Because you know-" Jason stopped abruptly, seemingly at a loss of words. A silence settled over the ship, heightened by the soundless sailing of the Argo II. The lack of noise crawled up Annabeth's spine, and she stared at an empty space until a voice broke through the quiet.

A young girl, younger than Annabeth with curling cinnamon hair, and warm golden eyes stepped hesitantly from the gathering. "Percy and Jason, could you make up later in private somewhere? Because Princess Annabeth probably doesn't want to listen to this right now."

Jason started like he had forgotten Annabeth, and offered a guilty smile at her. "Sorry Princess Annabeth, I was inconsiderate."

Percy looked relieved that the lecture had ended, and threw the girl a grateful smile before turning to the pirate crew assembled conveniently on the deck. He shook his head at the megaphone that a grinning Latino boy offered from the crowd.

"Okay so Hazel's right, and as everyone has probably already gathered, we have a new crew member, Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena. Please look after her, while she gets the ropes, and the usual rule: no picking fights or duelling with her, until she gets lessons."

A resounding cheer erupted from the crew, whoops and whistles flung like celebrations through the air. Annabeth had heard people cheering for her before; it was to be expected of a princess to be cheered on by her subjects, but never, had anyone sound so happy or so truly glad that she was there. Glancing at the setting brilliant red sun, Annabeth felt as if her past was being dissolved into the waters of the ocean, and that she was finally living in the light. She had never felt so far away from the castle that she had grown up in- but maybe she had finally found her home.

Percy smiled to himself when he saw his crew welcoming Annabeth, and the relaxed peaceful smile that settled over her face. In the light of the sun, Percy realised that she looked beautiful, like a fiery goddess, a keeper of passion and happiness. And he was glad that she felt happy.

"Percy," Jason's lowered voice came from behind him. "We still need to talk."

Percy sighed, turning around to face one of his best friends. "We could just ignore what happened."

"No chance in Olympus, Percy," Jason steered Percy towards the stairs leading to the lower deck. Along the way, he snagged Luke, who was trying to unsuccessfully mingle in the crowd in an attempt to avoid Jason's detection. "You too, Luke."

Jason led them into his bedroom, a bare tidy room which Percy winced at. It was too clean. Closing the door, Jason turned around, and although there were no traces of anger in his gaze, Percy could feel the seriousness mirrored in both Luke's and Jason's eyes. He knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of this one.

"Luke, what happened? Why'd you end up sneaking out with Percy instead of stopping him?" Jason rubbed his temples, deciding to begin with the easier case.

All traces of mirth were gone from Luke's expression as he frowned slightly at Jason. "Do you think that I didn't try to stop him? Of course I did my best to stop him from going."

Percy grimaced lightly. "He really did, Jason, and he actually couldn't do anything about it. I was halfway over the side of the ship by the time he caught up with me."

"Sorry Luke, I just had to make sure." Jason's voice was apologetic.

"It's fine, I would have thought the same too."

Although Jason was relieved that he had finished with one of them, his voice sounded timelessly tired when he finally turned to the young captain fidgeting under his stern gaze. "Percy, I thought we talked about this? Or was I dreaming a wonderful dream when I thought you said you would do anything reckless anymore?" Jason muttered

"It was Clarisse's ship, we both know that she's not going to maim me, no matter how many times she threatens to do it."

"Uh, sorry for interrupting, but I was pretty sure that you didn't know it was Clarisse, until you saw her on the ship." Luke added unhelpfully.

"Okay, I didn't _exactly_ know it was her," Percy tried to think of a back-up plan, "But I still don't think that it was reckless."

"You don't think jumping onto a heavily armed warship with only Luke and Riptide was reckless?"

"No?" Percy tried, but backtracked when he saw Jason's unamused face. "Does a few thousand tonnes of water not count as a weapon for a son of Poseidon?"

Jason sighed at the slight logic in Percy's words. Percy was very much in his element in the middle of the ocean, and he had always been an excellent swordsman along with Luke. In all honestly, they would probably be able to handle almost any ship in the ocean by themselves, and a few years ago, he would have let it go without a question. But things had changed, and he could feel the crushing responsibility to keep Percy from harm, a problem that constantly drilled holes in his throbbing brain from the way the boy lacked in all areas of self-preservation. It was frustrating.

"Just please… take me with you, next time, Percy. It'll add a few years onto my life." Jason pleaded, giving up on trying to convince Percy.

Percy nodded easily, glad that Jason had dropped the matter. He then ginned widely at a surprised Jason, as he edged toward the door. "I would have invited you, you know. If you hadn't been on a date with Piper." He winked as he slipped out the door, leaving a gaping and blushing Jason along with a smirking Luke.

"So you and Piper then?" Luke looked hopefully at Jason's stunned face. Jason successfully managed to close his mouth after much effort.

"How in Hades does he even know!"

Luke pondered a while as if he was considering the question. His expression brightened, as he beamed. "I know."

Jason stared warily at the happy expression on the son of Hermes's face.

"Jiper. Cute ship name isn't it?"

Jason groaned into his bed.

Annabeth had never felt more at ease in her life. Her entire existence from birth had been an exhausting never-ending cycle of doing her best and never being good enough for her mother, but now, she felt as if there were no eyes judging her, and no minds calculating her worth. They simply took her as if she had been a part of them which had been lost, but finally recovered, and this alone was enough to assure Annabeth that she had chosen the right path, even if she had gone down a thorny trail.

A light tap on Annabeth's shoulder gently nudged her out of her thoughts. She turned to see a girl standing beside her with chocolate hair in choppy braids and blue eyes that reflected the ocean. She was breathtakingly beautiful in a way that radiated natural, and judging by the plain trousers and shirt, she didn't like to be reminded of it. A soft feather hung from a braid, and Annabeth wasn't sure if it was a sort of pirate fashion, but the object seemed perfectly in place, threaded through her hair, adding a unique touch which Annabeth admired.

"Jason and Percy are probably busy sorting out their argument," the girl commented lightly, "And by that, I mean, Jason's probably doing his best to win an argument that he knows he's going to lose, while Luke does his best not to laugh." When Annabeth glanced around, she noticed that Percy, as well as Jason and Luke were indeed missing. "Its fine," the girl reassured, "Jason might seem kind of strict compared to everyone else, but we all know that he's a total softie inside, especially when it comes to Percy. I'm Piper by the way."

"Why was Jason so worried about Percy?" Annabeth mused curiously, recalling the anxious expression that had been etched into Jason when he had asked where Percy was.

"We were all pretty worried," Piper grinned, "You know, we had originally planned to launch the mission in an hour, and with about 10 more people, but the winds today blew us into your path earlier than expected. And by the time, everyone had realised that Percy had parked our ship right next to the Queen Anne's Revenge, he and Luke had already wrapped it all up."

Annabeth frowned, picturing the way the Argo II had perfect and swiftly pulled into position beside Clarisse's ship, and remembered the way it had performed the manoeuvre at an impossible angle. "He parked it there? If you calculate the angle as well as the direction and velocity of the waves, it's impossible to pull such a large ship as the Argo II into place like that."

"You really are a daughter of Athena," Piper smiled, "And you're right, it probably was impossible to do it at that angle." She hesitated, "I would tell you how, but you should probably hear from Percy himself. He says he doesn't mind, but everyone always lets him tell newcomers himself because-" Piper leaned in to, lowering her voice causing Annabeth to grasp at the soft-spoken words, "Secrets were never really made to be passed on."

Annabeth nodded, swallowing her curiosity reluctantly, and made a mental note to ask Percy personally about it later.

"So seeing as Percy's not here to give the tour, I hope you'll allow me to show you around the place." Piper added, grinning when Annabeth perked at the idea of getting more information about the masterpiece that was the Argo II.

"This is the mess hall." Piper gestured to the large room with tables placed in neat rows. Soft chatter drifted through the hall, pirates dotted at various tables. The room was warm and the comfortable atmosphere washed over Annabeth, welcoming her. "Lots of us spend free time in here. I would like to say that we enjoy socialising, but really, it's just for the food." And when Annabeth glanced around, she could clearly see the plates loaded with food laid in front of people while they chatted. The warm aroma of delicious cooking wafted through the air, making Annabeth feel light-headed from hunger; she stared hopefully at Piper.

"Personally, I'm starving and I think that the tour could be postponed for us to get food so we don't pass out later." Piper winked. She led Annabeth across the room to a door which swung open easily on oiled hinges, and they entered a room which looked, to Annabeth, like a temple for warmth. A dancing fire flickered and thrived in the centre of the room, and Annabeth watched it, hypnotised before she managed to tear her gaze away and survey the rest of the room. There was almost nothing in it, the walls white except for the shadows of the fire, casting wavering red and orange warmth onto them. Stacks of plated were left at the side, but apart from that, Annabeth couldn't see any signs of food or cooking utensils. She stared around her in bewilderment at how any food was produced here. A single girl sat on the table in the middle, swinging her legs as if bathing in the heat. At the sound of them coming in, she jolted to a halt, and when she turned to face them, Annabeth swore that she had seen the warmest smile which could possibly exist on Earth.

Fiery chocolate eyes and soft brown hair met Annabeth's eyes first, but when she had fully absorbed the cook's full appearance, she realised with a shock that she was a young girl, a few years younger than Annabeth.

"New recruit, Piper?" The girl threw them a warm look. "I'm guessing you're hungry, no one really comes here for my company."

Piper grimaced. "Sorry Lady Hestia, it's been really hectic recently, but I think that Jason, Luke and Percy will be down in a few minutes to talk to you. I just need to finish Annabeth's tour."

The girl and turned her full attention to Annabeth, who automatically straightened up under the flickering gaze of the intimidating girl. Annabeth wasn't sure what part of her was screaming that this girl was powerful, a thousand times more powerful than her, but if she had to hazard a guess she would say that it was the part of her brain labelled "not a death wish".

The girl smiled beautifully, "Hello Annabeth, I am Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth."

Annabeth gaped for a few moments, her mind scrambling at the facts she knew and the girl standing in front of her which contradicted everything she had been taught.

"My mother taught me that gods didn't exist anymore." Annabeth eventually stammered. "She said that they were dead."

Hestia gaze hardened into something that was almost disapproval, but Annabeth could feel that it wasn't directed at her. "Daughter of Athena, is it? Well I suppose that Athena hasn't matured very much after all. But I'm not the one who is decreed by the Fates to tell you this, I suppose you'll find out eventually."

Piper sent Annabeth an apologetic glance. "Add that to the list of things to ask Percy later. You'll understand."

Annabeth fought the urge to demand answers right there and then, because that was the way she was brought up after all, I was what her mother taught.

Annabeth blinked when a plate of cookies appeared in front of her, teasing her nose with a deliciously sweet scent. And she blinked more when she saw bright blue chocolate chip cookies mixed in with the other more normally coloured biscuits. Piper must have noticed her perplexed expression because she grinned knowingly.

"Those are for Percy." Piper supplied, "He has a thing for blue food."

Annabeth frowned. "Blue food doesn't exist."

"That's what we all told Percy and this is the result." Piper picked up a blue cookie, biting into it.

"Have some too child, now what's your name?" Hestia offered the plate to Annabeth who felt her stomach grumble at the lack of food she had consumed. She wavered hesitantly over a blue cookie or a normal one, a decision that may have seemed trivial before, but now, Annabeth could feel the intensity of the question pressing on her. The brown baked good reminded her of home, of normal, away from the madness of freedom and the addiction she had developed to stray from the path. But when she saw the vibrant shade of brilliant blue, she could see the unconventional, but perfect way it made its own way into the world, unknown.

Annabeth cautiously picked up a blue cookie, and did her best not to shove it ravenously in her mouth like a savage. It melted like butter in her mouth, and attacked her taste buds with a lovely taste. Annabeth could have easily ranked the cookies as the best she had ever tasted, but aside from the taste, there was another feeling of warmth coating her, surrounding her with the aura of family, friendship and love, emotions Annabeth thought she had known before she had realised there was so much more to it.

"Annabeth." She managed to speak after the mouthful. She could feel strange, brave tears prickling in the back of her eyes, "I'm Annabeth".

"Welcome to the family, Annabeth." And those words meant the world to her.

 **AN: A bit of a filler chapter, I guess. I hope it wasn't too boring for you, but I did leave some plot hints and stuff, like why is Jason being so protective of Percy (aside from the fact that I love the bromance between them)?**

 **-musicalrainbows**


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